


Holding You Was The Easiest Thing I Ever Had To Do

by ThereIsNoTragedyInThat



Series: A Thousand Futures of Me and You [209]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Boys In Love, Don't copy to another site, Drabble, Fluff, Hurt Stephen Strange, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Stephen Strange is perfect, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-05
Updated: 2020-03-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:20:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23030827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThereIsNoTragedyInThat/pseuds/ThereIsNoTragedyInThat
Summary: Stephen is reckless and proud. Tony is tired and in love.Day Three: Spooning for Warmth
Relationships: Tony Stark/Stephen Strange
Series: A Thousand Futures of Me and You [209]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1118655
Comments: 17
Kudos: 149





	Holding You Was The Easiest Thing I Ever Had To Do

Gritting his teeth Stephen rummaged frantically through the thick snow at his feet. The blizzard, which had raged for the entirety of his battle against what could be exaggeratedly considered a yeti, hadn’t let up in the slightest. The forest groaned and the wind shrieked at it steadily grew worse and yet…Stephen was completely and utterly trapped until he found his damned sling ring, the same one that had been tied tightly to his tunic as a back up, while his main one remained back home in New York. 

Certainly not his finest hour.

After everything Stephen really didn’t want to die from hypothermia. 

Unfortunately, it really wasn’t looking good. The drifts were nearly up to his thighs and while his magic was working overtime to keep him warm, already his feet were growing numb. The Cloak shifted around him, constantly trying to find a form that would protect Stephen from both the snow and the cold, failing spectacularly. 

A hard shiver went through Stephen, teeth trying to chatter but he’d successfully locked his jaw against it. The sun was rapidly setting, throwing shadows across the snow and making it even more difficult to find his quarry. With a low groan Stephen shoved his hands into a nearby drift in frustration, already knowing it was practically hopeless. The pain in his hands was excruciating, it felt as though the metal beneath his fragile skin was freezing and pulling vessels and skin with every movement. Stephen almost prayed for the same numbness in his feet to reach his hands if only to save him the agony. 

It was no use. His bloody sling ring was gone, lost to the mounds of cold, wet snow and Stephen should really just give up and accept that he’d die in the stupidest possible way for a sorcerer…really this was almost pathetic. Stephen let out a sigh, knees going a little weak and slumping while the Cloak smack uselessly at him, not quite as eager to quit. 

“I know, I know,” he muttered. “Wong would kill me, if Tony doesn’t first.”

The words came out clumsy on his tongue, lips numb and face stinging from the tears freezing on his cheeks. Yet, the words struck a chord deep inside him, memory of the Sanctum’s warmth and Tony’s concerned brown eyes. Where giving up had been attractive before, he found himself shaking off the thoughts, not really thinking at all as he flung his hands out in front of him, disturbingly blue at the tips. 

He concentrated only on the swell of magic inside him, around him. Thought of a long-ago memory of sorcerer without hands casting the most complex of spells. Imagined his hand adorned with his non-existent sling ring, channelling his power. 

Orange light sprang up behind his closed eyelids, but he didn’t dare look, terrified of it slipping away even as he stumbled forward, feet making little progress in the snow. The Cloak, which had shifted into a parka of sorts, was suddenly flinging him forward, sending Stephen tumbling with a gasp. 

Focus was difficult as a painful tugging in his gut made itself known. He was fading fast, exhaustion pulling at his limbs even as he hit something hard. Stephen blinked blearily, taking it familiar concrete floors, stainless steel worktables and two terrified brown eyes dancing in front of him. He thought it might be an hallucination, he still couldn’t feel his limbs and his face was numb, but his hands…well when didn’t they hurt, really? But then there were hands gripping his shoulders, shaking him and Stephen’s mind had never been that inventive which meant…

“Uh,” he muttered groggily. “It worked.”

Blackness consumed his vision despite the angry voice in his ear telling him to stay awake. 

\---

When Stephen came too it was with a low, pained groan. Waking up with pain reverberating through him wasn’t unusual, but to feel it in all of his limbs was quite different to just his hands. His eyes flew open and he tensed even as soothing words were being muttered somewhere behind him, close behind him. 

“Stephen, its me. You’re alright, I’ve got you.”

Glancing over he found Tony wrapped around him, blankets heaped over them both on a large four poster bed and a suspicious lack of clothing. Stephen’s hands were resting beside him, the Cloak wrapped protectively around the fragile limbs, keeping them warm. That was all it took to remember the forest and the snow and hypothermia he’d have likely succumbed to if Tony hadn’t acted as quickly as he did. 

“Are you alright?” 

Leaning back against his lover and feeling his arms tightened around him, Stephen offered a wide grin, only to get a raised eyebrow in return, “I’m brilliant actually.”

Tony wasn’t impressed, eyes narrowing on him, “you almost died. Wherever you were, you nearly froze to death Stephen. I wouldn’t call that fucking brilliant.”

Stephen shrugged, shifted his legs so they were tangled together, and his cold toes pressed to Tony’s shin, making the man flinch, “I lost my sling ring and couldn’t get back after the fight.” 

“You lost your sling ring?” Disbelief quickly followed by anger. “How do you lose your sling ring?!”

“There was a lot of snow,” Stephen replied reasonably. 

“Lots of-” Tony glared. “What about your back up?”

“Left it at the Sanctum. Really you’re missing the point here.” 

“The point? You mean where you were reckless and nearly got yourself killed?”

Stephen sighed. He understood, of course he did. Tony had always been afraid of this scenario right here, where Stephen might die out in some other dimension or stumble back just in time but unable to be healed. Stephen didn’t blame him, but he was still exhausted from the ordeal, he was happy here in Tony’s arms, and all he really wanted was for the man to celebrate his accomplishment with him and hark on him later. 

“I lost my sling ring,” Stephen repeated slowly. “I didn’t find it. Now I’m here.”

Tony stared down at him for several long moments before realization dawned in his eyes, mouth opening and closing. Stephen could physically see the man trying to decide whether or not to still be angry or to indulge Stephen’s excitement. Luckily, it seemed the latter won out.

“You came back without needing the sling ring?” There was awe in his voice and Stephen felt pride settle in his chest. 

“I told you,” he said smugly. “I’d always find a way to come back.”

Tony shook his head before surging forth to press a hard, disbelieving kiss to Stephen’s lips.


End file.
